Elena Zhukova is a Russian-born retired molecular biologist who married media proprietor Rupert Murdoch on June 1, 2024. Most of the searches for her name come from that marriage, which was his fifth. She has kept a low public profile, so the facts available are limited to what major news outlets reported at the time. This guide sets out those facts, sources them, and points out where other people with the same name cause confusion. It does not include speculation about her private life, finances or health.
Quick facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is she? | A retired molecular biologist, born in Moscow |
| Known for | Her marriage to Rupert Murdoch |
| Married | June 1, 2024, at Murdoch's vineyard estate in Bel Air, California |
| Engagement announced | March 2024 |
| Age at marriage | 67, according to AP and CBS News |
| Previous marriage | Alexander Zhukov, an energy investor and Russian politician |
| Daughter | Dasha Zhukova, an art collector and museum founder |
Who is Elena Zhukova?
According to CBS News, Zhukova is a 67-year-old Russian-born retired molecular biologist who studied at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Jewish Chronicle reports that she was born in Moscow to Jewish parents and emigrated to the United States in 1991. She is described in several reports as a retired scientist, not a public figure, and no major outlet describes her as having a business, political or media career of her own.
Her scientific background
Reports agree that her field was diabetes. The Jewish Chronicle says she specialized in the study of diabetes, and CBS News says her career focused on it. Yahoo Entertainment adds that her work took her to institutions including the University of California, Los Angeles. We could not find a detailed, authoritative list of her papers or positions, so it is best not to rely on websites that give exact job titles or dates.
The marriage timeline
- Summer 2023: CNN reported, citing the New York Times, that Murdoch began dating Zhukova that summer.
- Fall 2023: Murdoch stepped down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, as the Associated Press recounted.
- March 2024: the couple announced their engagement.
- June 1, 2024: they married at his vineyard estate in Bel Air. News Corp confirmed the wedding the next day and released photographs.
Al Jazeera noted that the wedding came less than three months after the engagement was announced.
Family connections
Zhukova was previously married to Alexander Zhukov, whom the Jewish Chronicle describes as a billionaire energy investor and Russian politician. Their daughter is Dasha Zhukova, an art collector who founded the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow. Wikipedia describes Dasha as the former wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who used to own the Premier League club Chelsea. After the 2024 marriage, Murdoch became Dasha Zhukova's stepfather.
Yahoo Entertainment reports that Zhukova and Murdoch met through his third wife, Wendi Deng, and CNN reports that they began dating in 2023. Beyond those details, her family life is private, and this article does not repeat unsourced claims.
The Murdoch context
Rupert Murdoch inherited a newspaper in his native Australia in 1952 and built a global media business that includes Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. The AP and CBS reports note that his four earlier marriages were to Patricia Booker, Anna Murdoch Mann, Wendi Deng and Jerry Hall, and that his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith in 2023 was called off. Murdoch stepped down as chairman of Fox and News Corp in the fall of 2023. The wedding therefore drew attention mainly because of who Murdoch is, not because of Zhukova's own public activity.
Other people named Elena Zhukova
The name is common in Russia, and searches often mix people up. For example, the film and TV database IMDb lists an Elena Zhukova as a Russian television writer who was born in 1970 and died in 2015. She is a different person from the scientist who married Murdoch. Wikipedia also has an entry for a Russian senator named Anastasia Zhukova, who is not related to this article's subject.
Before you trust a biography, check three things: the birth year, the profession, and which marriage it mentions. If a page mixes details from more than one person, treat it as unreliable.
What is not publicly known
Several things people search for are not confirmed by reliable reporting. These include her current activities, her personal finances, and details of her health or daily life. Sites that publish a precise "net worth" or private details usually repeat guesses. If a claim has no named source, treat it as unverified.
How to read coverage like this
- Prefer major outlets and primary confirmations. In this case, News Corp itself confirmed the wedding, and the AP, CBS and CNN reported it.
- Be wary of content farms. Pages that repeat the same facts with a precise age, net worth and "untold story" are often written to attract searches.
- Check the date. Coverage of the wedding is from 2024, so any later claim needs its own source.
- Respect privacy. A person who has not sought attention does not owe the public details beyond what has been reported.
Our guide to finding reliable news sources covers these checks in more detail. For another profile written under the same rules, see our explainer on Millie Bobby Brown's husband, or our Maja Chwalińska profile. Our explainer on ThomsonKids.com shows how to judge a multi-topic site before you trust its biographies.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Elena Zhukova? A Russian-born retired molecular biologist who married Rupert Murdoch in June 2024.
When did she marry Rupert Murdoch? On June 1, 2024, at his estate in Bel Air, California.
How old is Elena Zhukova? She was 67 at the time of the wedding, according to AP and CBS News.
Who is Elena Zhukova's daughter? Dasha Zhukova, an art collector and the founder of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art.
What did she do for a living? She worked as a molecular biologist, focusing on diabetes.
Was she married before? Yes, to Alexander Zhukov, an energy investor and Russian politician.
Is she the same Elena Zhukova as the TV writer? No. IMDb lists a different Elena Zhukova, a writer who died in 2015.
The takeaway
Elena Zhukova is a retired molecular biologist, born in Moscow, who married Rupert Murdoch on June 1, 2024. She is the mother of Dasha Zhukova and a former wife of Alexander Zhukov. Beyond what AP, CBS, CNN and other outlets reported, little is public, and many online profiles mix her up with other people of the same name. Stick to sourced facts.
